1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a fluid connector that is connectable to a small container, and a fluid dispensing system comprised of multiple containers with mutually exclusive fluid connectors. More particularly, the present invention relates in one embodiment to a connector for fitting to a bottle, and a system for dispensing a liquid electrolyte into an electrochemical cell or capacitor selected from several bottles of different electrolytes. The connectors on each of the bottles differ from each other such that errors in connecting the bottles to their respective delivery conduits are prevented. Electrolyte cross-contamination is avoided and consistent filling of a particular cell or capacitor with the desired electrolyte is enabled.
2. Description of Related Art
In the manufacturing of electrochemical cells, such as those used to power implantable medical devices, a variety of models may be produced by a single manufacturing system in order to achieve desired economies of scale. The various models of cells/capacitors typically require different liquid electrolytes; no single liquid electrolyte is suitable for activation of the cathodes and anodes of different cells. Therefore, the manufacturing production line must be provided with a liquid dispensing system configured for the selective dispensing of the correct electrolyte into a particular cell.
In such a production line, the various electrolytes must be stored in containers which include fittings that are connectable to the respective fluid supply conduits for electrolyte delivery. The fittings are preferably “quick-connect” fittings, which enable the rapid replacement of spent electrolyte containers with filled ones. If all of the quick-connect fittings provided on the containers and supply conduits are identical, then it is possible for an electrolyte supply container to be connected to the wrong supply conduit. Cross-contamination of the electrolyte and the filling of a particular cell or cells with the wrong electrolyte can occur. Careful attention to detail by manufacturing personnel is required to prevent such errors; however, given enough time, it is highly probable that errors will occur. Defective product and/or unsafe conditions may result.
Matched or “keyed” quick-connect fittings can be provided wherein a given male fitting will only couple to a correspondingly matched female fitting. Each electrolyte container and corresponding supply conduit can be provided with a particular matched fitting pair, such that cross-connection errors are prevented. Such keyed quick-connect fittings are known. For example, keyed quick-connect fittings are manufactured and sold by the Swagelok® Corporation of Solon, Ohio.
However, keyed quick-connects have certain disadvantages. In instances where small amounts of fluid are to be delivered, keyed quick-connects have relatively large, bulky bodies, and are not optimum for use in the compact systems provided for electrolyte filling of implantable cells. They are also expensive, such that having a full set of matched fittings and spares in inventory may be a significant cost. The number of keyed pairs of fittings provided by a given manufacturer is also limited. For example, the Swagelok® Corporation offers a choice of seven matched pairs of keyed quick-connects in one of their product lines. If the number of liquid electrolytes to be dispensed exceeds the available number of keyed quick-connects, a foolproof dispensing system cannot be provided.
Simple, non-keyed quick-connects are much more compact and less expensive. However, they enable cross-connection errors to be made in electrolyte dispensing. What is needed is a fluid connector, a dispensing container/fluid connector assembly, and a dispensing system that uses simple and inexpensive off-the-shelf quick-connect fittings, but that also prevents cross-connection errors.
It is noted that this problem is not unique to electrolyte filling of electrochemical cells for implantable devices. The problem, and the present invention that addresses it, are also applicable to electrolyte filling of other implantable power devices such as electrochemical capacitors, and to a variety of other precision fluid dispensing applications. Such applications may involve, for example, semiconductor manufacturing, automated immunoassays, thin film coating, and the like. Although the following description is directed to the problem of electrolyte dispensing to electrochemical cells, it is to be understood that the present invention is not to be construed as being limited only to such a use, and is broadly applicable to the art of fluid dispensing in general.